How Does Early Life Stress Increase Risk for Addictive Behavior?

To an infant, a responsive, emotionally attuned parent or caregiver stimulates a healthy release of natural opioids, or feel-good chemicals in their newly developing brain. This endorphin surge promotes an attachment relationship that sets up the optimal quantity and quality of receptor sites and systems for the essential human drives such as love, connection, pain relief, pleasure, incentive and motivation. On the other hand, an infant who is stressed by a caregiver that is not responsive and is emotionally unavailable may not develop the number and quality of receptor sites ideal for their healthy development. When circumstances do not allow the infant or young child to experience consistently nurturing interactions or worse, expose the child to emotional or physical discomfort, their young brains are likely to form in  ways that are mal-adaptive.

Community is Key

Social stimulation is necessary for the brain to develop the nerve endings that release feel good hormones as well as their receptor sites that are designed to accept those hormones. Even as adults, we need a consistent stream of contact with other people and if that is cut off, such as in solitary confinement in the prison system, the brain is quickly adversely affected.

Healthy Attachment With Your Child

The presence of consistent, loving contact from parents or caregivers in infancy is one factor in normal development of the brain. The absence of this essential ingredient makes a child more vulnerable to substance and behavioral addiction in an attempt to augment what his or her own brain is lacking.

Loving Touch

Touch is crucial to an infant. The basic human need for touch actually surpasses our need for food. Premature babies who require medical assistance in incubators for weeks or months do much better on all levels when they are tenderly stroked, touched and cuddled. A child’s capacity to handle psychological and physiological stress is completely dependent on the relationship with his parent(s) or other significant caregiver. Children who experience disruptions in their relationships with parents or caregivers have brains that develop differently from their well-nurtured peers. Their perceptions of their environment and responses to it will be less flexible. Their susceptibility to the mood-enhancing effects of drugs and compulsive thinking and behaviors are more likely to increase.

Research Says

Studies of addicts reliably find extremely high levels of all kinds of childhood trauma and chronic stress, including physical, sexual and emotional influences. An important research study, called The Adverse Childhood Experiences Study, looked at the incidence of ten categories of painful circumstances that happen in early life including violence within the family, divorce, substance abuse, death, sexual, physical or emotional abuse, and others. The correlation between each adverse childhood experience (ACE) and the incidence of addiction later in life is clear. People with 5 or more ACE’s had 7 to 10 times greater risk for addiction than those with none.

Unborn Babies Are Sensitive

Of course, not all mistreated children grow up to be addicts but the risk is definitely greater. Now that we know the significant seeds of addiction begin with difficult experiences encountered early in our lives, even before birth, we can do more to create support for pregnant women, new Mom’s and families to assist them in cultivating secure relationships with their infants and young children.